The American Society of Addiction Medicine reported almost 19,000 people died in 2014 from overdoses related to prescription painkillers. Though it should be noted that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration still classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug, meaning it has "a high potential for abuse."

But it's unlikely your favorite player will be trading painkillers for weed anytime soon — even if the committee decides to recommend cannabis use for pain management, it still has to get the NFL to sign off. The league currently prohibits players from using marijuana.